CH 4

Fu Xingchuan simply washed his face and hurried to the interrogation room.

For security reasons, the interrogation room wasn’t inside the Shian Building but in a small cylindrical building in the southwest corner of the park. The interrogation room was on the ground floor. Its corridors were crowded with vibrant plants. Bird cages were hung, with many small birds chirping among the branches and leaves.

They weren’t just for mere decoration.

These potted plants and small birds were extremely sensitive to evil spirits. More importantly, they were striking enough to cover up the magic in the building.

Fu Xingchuan swallowed a piece of chocolate. The sweet taste stuck to his throat. As soon as he entered the interrogation room, he poured himself a cup of tea.

The interrogation room of the Shian Group wasn’t like the ones in a police station. It was decorated rather warmly. The lighting was soft, and the room was furnished with dark coffee-colored wooden furniture that held broad-leaved potted plants. There was a small table with a pot filled with hot tea and a plate of peach cookies. At first glance, it looked more like a retro café.

However, it still had its cold parts.

For example, the interrogation room was well stocked, but there wasn’t a single sharp object. The tables and chairs were fixed to the floors, and the cups and plates were all special products that couldn’t be broken. Another example was Fu Xingchuan sitting in a dark room, separated from the warm little world by a layer of one-way glass. The people inside couldn’t see him at all.

Anonymous’ origin was unknown, and they needed more time to conduct a physical exam before they could ask him questions. Through the one-way glass, Fu Xingchuan looked at Zhong Chengshuo in the interrogation room.

Zhong Chengshuo had already taken off his rain cape.

He was wearing a white sweater that was too wide. His dark pants were loose and casual, and his sneakers were clean, showing meticulous care for them. At this moment, Zhong Chengshuo was busy putting on his glasses—probably because he was afraid the rain would get in his eyes, so he stored his glasses in a case that was tucked in his pocket.

Fu Xingchuan had to admit that he looked very pleasing to elders.

Zhong Chengshuo’s brows were gentle and atmospheric, his black hair wasn’t permed or dyed, and his bangs were just a tad bit too long. With square rimless glasses, he had the aura of a student and looked younger than his actual age.

Although tonight’s experience was peculiar, there was neither panic nor resistance on his face, nor did he have the eagerness to talk about his experience.

Given that Fu Xingchuan was observing with a nitpicking mentality, he managed to dig out an unsightly feature.

His eyes.

It could be said that if Zhong Chengshuo were matched with a pair of clear eyes, he could be a poster boy for the “Top Ten Outstanding Youth”. But instead, his eyes were like black holes, as dark as ink. They were dull, and no emotions could be seen in them. If it weren’t for his harmless appearance, those eyes would be enough to make people feel uneasy.

Fu Xingchuan cleared his throat and made a “start” gesture to his colleague on the other side of the mirror. He lowered his head and quickly read Zhong Chengshuo’s information, then took a deep breath.

“Mr. Zhong, someone had explained things to you on the way here, right?”

Zhong Chengshuo was sitting in an armchair in a regular manner. He had his hands clasped and was resting them on the edge of the table; his slightly longer cuffs were covering his wrists.

“The suspected leakage of hazardous chemicals in Xizhao District is a premeditated crime. The case is serious, and all abnormalities in the vicinity must be investigated. You’re assisting the police in this investigation.”

Zhong Chengshuo spoke in a gentle and clear voice.

“I have confirmed the power of attorney at the police station, and I’m willing to cooperate.”

“Then just talk casually and relax,” Fu Xingchuan said. “I just read your information. You’re a graduate student at University A—one of the top universities in this country. You can choose to go anywhere with this grade, yet you went back to Haigu for development?”

Haigu was located inland and had a long history. It mainly focused on tourism. Looking at its development alone, it could barely be considered a second-tier city*. Zhong Chengshuo said that his major was “biochemistry and molecular biology”, which wasn’t suitable at all for employment in Haigu.

*China city tier system refers to an unofficial hierarchical classification of Chinese cities. Cities in different tiers often reflect differences in consumer behavior, income level, population size, consumer sophistication, infrastructure, talent pool, and business opportunity, among others.

Not to mention that this person’s grades were ridiculously good; it was incredible that Zhong Chengshuo’s mentor would be willing to let him go.

Zhong Chengshuo said with a shy smile, “My parents are in their eighties. If I study or work in a field long-term, it won’t be convenient for me to take care of them.”

“Oh, indeed, you have to take good care of your parents in their eighties, but I don’t understand. Looking at this information… You didn’t return to Haigu immediately after graduation but traveled abroad for two years.”

“Well, my family was in good health at the time. I wanted to take advantage of that and explore the world, so as not to worry about it in the future. Mom wasn’t feeling well a while back, so that’s when I returned.”

“So filial. It seems that your parents treat you very well.”

Zhong Chengshuo remained silent for a while. He looked up at the one-way glass as if he could see through it.

“They treat me very well,” he said. “It should be written in the information. I was adopted by them. As adoptive parents, no one in the world is more competent than them.”

Fu Xingchuan continued as if nothing had happened. “Aren’t you curious about your biological parents? Seeing that you’ve been going around the country for two years, I thought—”

“Not curious at all. My only relatives are my parents, and that’s all,” Zhong Chengshuo said as he pushed up his glasses, showing them a smile.

Fu Xingchuan immediately looked at the data uploaded to the tablet.

So far, Zhong Chengshuo hadn’t lie. Fu Xingchuan breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously—now it seemed that his worries were superfluous.

“Just now, that was just a routine inquiry. I apologize in advance if it made you uncomfortable. Next, we’re moving on to the main business…”

Zhong Chengshuo’s interrogation ended quickly. Regarding last night’s incident, his remarks were no different from those given at the police station. Zhong Chengshuo said that the only abnormality he noticed was “the streetlights on that street seemed to be broken”.

Data from the technical department kept coming through, showing that there was no falsehood in Zheng Chengshuo’s narrative.

“Finally, confirm again, why did you go out in the rain in the early hours of the morning?”

“Didn’t you ask that just now? Today, my parents left to see relatives and forgot to close the window. I was afraid my dad’s potted plants would drown.”

Fu Xingchuan did ask this, and the data did show that it was the truth, but that didn’t prevent him from thinking this was complete bullshit.

“Why?” Fu Xingchuan couldn’t help asking. “It takes you more than an hour to go to Changling Road by bike. In the middle of the night, while it’s raining like this, it only makes the road conditions even poorer…”

He had specifically confirmed that the potted plants were a variety of 5 to 8 yuan a pot from a farmer’s market. No matter what anyone would think, normal people at least would wait until dawn.

Zhong Chengshuo gave him a surprise look and said, “But that’s still life.”

Fu Xingchuan: “……”

Great, the truth again. His concerns went from “seemingly superfluous” to “worrisome”.

Fu Xingchuan: “You’ve worked hard. Alright, you can head out. After staying up most of the night, you can go to the lounge and sleep for a while. I’ll call you back in the day if I need you.”

Zhong Chengshuo was led away by the staff. Fu Xingchuan poured himself another cup of tea, and a sense of vicissitude diffused from his heart. Minister Fu, who was in his early forties, sighed for a while—young people nowadays were getting more and more incomprehensible.

However, with Zhong Chengshuo out of the way, next up was Anonymous.

Fu Xingchuan went out for a smoke. When he came back, Anonymous was already sitting where Zhong Chengshuo had just sat.

The moment he saw that person, Minister Fu subconsciously tensed his body, and his pupils dilated slightly.

Mr. Anonymous’ long hair was tied up. His pale complexion was illuminated by warm light, giving him a more energetic look compared to his photo. His cheeks and lips were bloodshot, and his brown-red eyes were very eye-catching. This person was tall. His hospital gown had been replaced with a Shian uniform; its dull design instantly became fashionable when it was worn by him.

However, the biggest point was his face.

Fu Xingchuan had seen many human and non-human “beauties”, and compared to them, Anonymous’ appearance could leave them all in the dust. This kind of beauty was like a blood-quenching blade.

It was too beautiful. He looked even better than in the photo.

However, Minister Fu didn’t have the slightest appreciation for this beauty, but was full of vigilance. He had been in this business for 30 years and knew the most basic truth…

For living things related to the metaphysics, especially “people” of “unknown origin”, beauty only meant danger.

Fu Xingchuan tapped on the table lightly. In an instant, the entire interrogation room was completely closed, with dozens of destructive spells ready to be activated. If it weren’t for the lush plants and birds’ sleeping sounds, Fu Xingchuan could have activated the blasting system incidentally.

Unlike Minister Fu, who was on full alert, Yin Ren was light and airy.

Under the seal, there was only a damp, thick, dark, and rancid pile of sticky corpses. After a comprehensive physical examination, he was taken by the staff to take a pleasant hot bath—Yin Ren even knew how to use the hot water faucet without having someone teach him.

Hot water faucet—magical. Hair dryer—amazing. And yet he wanted to destroy this era when he had water in his head*?

*(脑子进水) Term used to describe there’s a problem with a person’s mind. It can also mean being opposed to and not accepting when someone asks a strange question. || In this context, it’s the former.

Yin Ren leaned back into the armchair in a relaxed manner, looking at the food in front of him.

He was new here and didn’t know things had changed. The hot tea and peach cookies that were served to Zhong Chengshuo had been removed, and now there was a hot cup of coffee and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

The coffee was clear and had an unusually strong smell.

“There’s no hurry to talk. Eat first.” A voice sounded in the room.

Yin Ren glanced at the one-way glass. In this form, he couldn’t see what was behind the glass, but he could sense a power emanating from there.

There was an extremely powerful cultivator on the other side of the “mirror”, so being cautious wasn’t an exaggeration.

The drink in front of him was steaming hot. It had a sour and bitter aroma that went straight to his nose. Yin Ren tried to take a sip, and the Evil Spirit almost spat it out.

This was trickery! Even if someone liked extreme flavors, they shouldn’t treat guests like this by default.

As soon as the cup left his lips, Yin Ren scanned the table. Thanks to the Evil Spirit’s excellent sense of smell, he smelled food among the pile of scattered decorations.

Salt and pepper were in delicate vials, soy sauce and vinegar in clear, transparent hoses. There was a small, cylindrical bag that exuded a rich milk flavor. There was sugar wrapped in rectangular paper and small spoonfuls of jam and lard on the table.

These were all flavorings. They were placed in an orderly manner in a wooden box, right within his reach.

There wasn’t much reaction time left.

Yin Ren controlled his expression, neatly pulled out the sugar wrapped in paper strips, tore open one of the creamer balls, and put them in his drink—he wasn’t sure if this was the “right” thing to do, but he had made many medicinal soups and knew how to make them taste better.

The drink with the added flavorings was a lot smoother. Yin Ren took a few sips and then picked up a piece of something that looked like a snack.

This time, there was no trap. He tasted a wonderful bitter taste that was completely unfamiliar and was followed by a rich and sweet flavor. Yin Ren unceremoniously ate the entire snack tray. To be fair, this thing was 10,000 times more delicious than the Resentment Basket. It was sticky to eat, and when finished, the drink went well with it.

“Is there more?” Yin Ren asked tentatively.

Fu Xingchuan: “…Yes.”

“I’m sorry. I’m really hungry. You guys have a full range of seasonings here. Can I get a bowl or noodles or something?”

Fu Xingchuan: “…There are still two packs of cookies in the drawer of the table.”

From where Yin Ren couldn’t see, Fu Xingchuan had put down his tablet. Just a moment ago, the results of Anonymous’ physical examination were released.

According to the genetic results, Anonymous was a standard native human.

He was about 22 to 23 years old, healthy but a little malnourished. The tricky thing was Anonymous’ physical characteristics. DNA of a missing person couldn’t be matched. He didn’t have any scars, surgical marks, or injuries anywhere on his body. It was as if he had just been born, leaving them with no clues.

The police contacted the mental health facility, but the hospital insisted there was no such person among their patients. When this person showed up, the hospital was caught in a power outage, so they couldn’t even get surveillance data.

So far, the only way Minister Fu could dig up information from this person was to interrogate him.

At least looking at his current performance, Anonymous had a certain amount of modern knowledge, which ruled out the possibility of “not being exposed to popular information” and “doesn’t understand the current era”.

“I’m sorry for taking up your time. Feel free to ask your questions, but I might not know the answer.” Yin Ren’s voice was muffled as he was chewing on a cookie while he spoke.

“How much do you remember about yourself?” Fu Xingchuan went straight to the point.

Yin Blade hurriedly took a sip of coffee. “…Ahem, not much. I just remember that I used to travel a lot—perhaps I should call it ‘business trips’? I can’t remember recent events as my head’s a mess right now.”

The reading instrument fluctuated. The man wasn’t lying, but there was a certain exaggeration in his words.

“Tell me about last night.” Minister Fu wasn’t moved.

“You want me to ask why I am in this condition?” Yin Ren picked up on his words. “I don’t know. I woke up like this. I was scared and didn’t know what was going on, so I picked up a knife nearby to defend myself. Even if people didn’t call the police, I was going to go to the police for help.”

“It’s purely a coincidence that I entered the mental health facility. I just wanted to find something to wear. When I first woke up, I was completely naked.” Even though I wasn’t even in human form at that time, Yin Ren silently added.

“Do you know where you woke up?”

“It’s a terrible place. It was all wasteland. I wandered around for a long time and went too far.”

This was the truth. At that time, he was whizzing underground, almost across the entire city of Haigu.

“You took the initiative to enter the mental hospital?”

“Well, I went in through the window. It was too dark at night. I just know it was one of those… kind of ‘public facilities’, since it’s inappropriate to break into someone’s private residence.”

Yin Ren was confident. “Turning into a liquid and drilling into the seams of the window” was definitely, in a sense, going through the window.

“I then found some clothing, but I didn’t want to stay in an unknown place, so I ran out again. As a result, I ran into Zhong Ge*—he could attest that I’ve been very cooperative. Later, you guys took me here directly and did a lot of inspections.”

*Brother (哥) Term used by someone younger to refer to someone who is male, who’s older than you, and with whom you have a good relationship with or respect.

“…You called him ‘Zhong Ge’.” Fu Xingchuan rubbed his temples.

“He looks older than me,” the 1,000-year-old Evil Spirit said innocently. “He also said he’s an acquaintance of mine.”

Fu Xingchuan laughed dryly. Mr. Anonymous’ observation data fluctuated greatly, but they didn’t reach the red line of “lies”. Having said that, few people could calmly and objectively describe this kind of thing.

It was better to solve the misunderstanding first so as not to make this person think that his name is really Zhang San.

……

At 11:30 in the morning, Minister Fu left the basement floor. He beat around the bush and asked everything he could, but failed to dig up more information from “Anonymous”. Anonymous either answered honestly or didn’t know anything about it. This person seemed to be just an ordinary young man who had encountered misfortune. At the end of the inquiry, Anonymous even persuaded him to get some rest.

In terms of personality alone, this person was much easier to communicate with than Zhong Chengshuo.

Fu Xingchuan had been exposed to many evil things, which were either cruel or angry, and they had a hellish feeling to them. A warm and cheerful creature was like a joke. Fu Xingchuan doubted his intuition for the first time—it was buzzing at that time, but he decided that these two people were unrelated to the murderous incident.

As a result, half a night passed, and the Shian Group had lost three packs of chocolate chip cookies.

Fu Xingchuan felt his phone vibrate and frowned.

“Lao Fu, Zhong Chengshuo has woken up. Can this matter still be considered ‘high-risk’? The evil qi values in and around the Xizhao District are all normal. As for those two, both physical results and observation data are… uh…”

Fu Xingchuan narrowed his eyes and took a deep puff of his cigarette.

“Still considered ‘high-risk’. Thoroughly investigate the patients in that hospital. As long as someone gives any outrageous testimony, write it down for me.”

He decided to trust his intuition as the “First Ghost General”.

The author has something to say:

Yes, Xiao Zhong wears glasses! Comes with skills [Glass Reflection Lv.1] _(:D”∠)_

Xiao Yin… Xiao Yin may have abandoned his own skills [Ghost King Force Lv.99]

Kinky Thoughts:

Looks like Lao Zhang is about to make another appearance. I find it so cute how Yin Ren marvels at things in the modern era and how he describes them.